ARC: Assassin Queen (31 page)

He hoped that, barring the pain he was sure she felt at that first moment of entry, he had made her first time with a man as enjoyable as she hoped it to be. But even that didn
’
t seem to matter right now. If there would be a next time, and ones to follow, he would make sure that every single time he would learn more and more about her, finding new ways to make her feel as special as she deserved to be. He took so much enjoyment from seeing her pleasure. Next to her, his own pleasure, however exquisite it was, didn
’
t even matter that much.

He knew if they were destined to die in their war with the Kaddim, he would die with no regrets. Just a short while ago, he wasn
’
t sure he could ever love again. And now, for the first time, he found a very real hope.

31

A Coup

“It
’
s taking too bloody long,
” Mai said.

Ellah leaned back into her chair, watching him tiredly. Mai had been restless the whole evening. For the past hour he had been up from his seat, pacing their common room despite Egey Bashi
’
s attempts to distract him with a conversation. It was indeed getting late, even though Ellah was sure the Queen
’
s invitation did not specify the time of Kara
’
s return. For all she knew, Kara may be expected to share someone
’
s bed, an obvious thought that none in their party dared venture into the conversation. Mai seemed near enough to the edge without discussing that possibility.

“
Why don
’
t we all have some sleep, Aghat Mai?
”
Egey Bashi said soothingly.
“I
’
m sure, with her combat skill, Kara couldn
’
t possibly be in any danger.
”

Mai looked at him for a moment, as if considering the suggestion, then resumed his pacing.

“I assume, Aghat Mai,”
Seldon said,
“
you are not similarly concerned about Aghat Lance, or any of our other men, not showing up by now?
”

Mai paused again. Ellah flinched at his expression. It felt as if the weight everyone had been waiting for dropped, leaving only a brief pause before an explosion.

“
Are you trying to make a bloody point, Aghat Seldon?
” Mai said.

Seldon
’
s guarded look told Ellah that he was fully aware of the reaction he was causing, even though he clearly wasn
’
t going to back down. His jaw knotted with resolve as he spoke.

“I
am
making a point, Aghat Mai. Kara is a grownup, and given her rank and her exceptional skill, she is more than capable of taking care of herself
–
just like our men, who willingly ventured out for the evening. You shouldn
’
t exhaust yourself with worry about her well-being. The best we can all do right now is get some sleep, so that we are all ready for the negotiations tomorrow.
”

Mai froze, his face briefly contorting into a mask that made him nearly unrecognizable. Ellah braced for the fight she was sure was about to erupt, but, to her surprise, Mai merely turned around and left the room.

After a long moment they all heard a distant thud of a door slamming in the depth of the suite, followed by a silence that hung heavily in the air.

“
Perhaps I should go talk to him?
”
Egey Bashi offered, without much enthusiasm.

Seldon shook his head.
“
Aghat Mai is a reasonable man. Just give him some time to cool off.
”

“
But what if he is right and we do have reasons for concern, Aghat?
”

Seldon smirked. “
Kara is probably enjoying a version of every woman
’
s paradise right now. Do you really want to pull her out of it?
”

Every woman’s paradise.
Ellah looked at him thoughtfully. Clearly, Seldon knew very little about women. Perhaps that was not too surprising, given his advanced Majat rank that probably afforded him very little opportunity to interact with women at all.

Ellah thought back to the conversation she had with Kara at Gard
’
hal outpost, and Kara
’
s surprising confession about her fear of men. From her own experience, Ellah knew that fears like this never disappeared without a trace. While Kara had clearly found her balance with men
–
and was enjoying a very close relationship with one
–
Ellah was sure Kara would be terrified at facing all those scantily clad consorts, apparently with only one thing on their mind, throwing themselves at her, as she was sure they would try to do in the Queen
’
s quarters.

Ellah still remembered Kara
’
s expression when she first encountered this kind of attention from Hamala
’
s consorts on their way to the throne room. Besides, Kara was deeply devoted to Mai. Ellah was certain Kara was anxious to return to him as soon as possible. She had been gone more than four hours. Perhaps Mai was right and it was indeed time to worry?

She rose to her feet.
“
I think I
’
ll, um, go and talk to Mai myself.
”

Egey Bashi regarded her for a moment.
“
Are you sure?
”

“Yes.”
She understood the Magister
’
s hesitation. None of them knew what Mai was capable of in his current volatile mood. Yet, she was sure that even on the brink of losing control Mai would never harm someone like her, a person with no weapon training at all. Well, at least reasonably sure. In any case, this was what friends were for, wasn
’
t it?

It looked as if Egey Bashi was about to say something else by the way he raised his head, but he receded back into his seat under her questioning gaze.
“
Make sure to stay out of his weapons
’
range
–
if you can help it, of course.
”

Ellah nodded.
“I
’
ll do my best, Magister.”

Egey Bashi rose too.
“
Good luck. As for myself, I feel this may be a good time to pay a visit to the palace library. Nothing like the late hours of the night to search around for hidden volumes and scrolls, is it?
”

Ellah straightened out her dress as she stepped to the door, hearing the echo of the Magister
’
s steps down the hallway. She knew visiting the library was a good idea, yet his departure left her alone in the company of the Majat, with Mai being the only person she felt even remotely familiar with. She hurried to the door, but Seldon
’
s words stopped her.

“
You really think you can calm him down?
”

She turned and looked at him.
“
Why do you ask?
”

“
Because I noticed the way you look at him. You like him, don
’
t you?
”

Ellah heaved a long breath.
“
Is everything always so
…
so perverted in your world, Aghat Seldon?
”

“
Perverted?
”
He seemed genuinely surprised.

“Yes,”
Ellah said.
“
It seems that your opinion of people is dictated entirely by what you believe you know about the urges of their bodies. I hate to break it to you, especially given the difference in our ages, but people are really far more complicated than this.
”

She didn
’
t wait for him to respond as she left the room, but she could feel the silence behind her, palpable like a thick pile of sand.

When she knocked on Mai
’
s door she didn
’
t hear any answer. After a long pause she dared to push it tentatively. The door swung inward, letting her inside.

Mai was sitting on the low bed in the corner, staring into space. Her heart quivered as she saw his sagging shoulders, the way his face looked pale and drawn, exhausted. She tried to tread lightly as she crossed the room and sat on the bed by his side.

“
I think you may be right,
”
she said.

He lifted his head, looking at her as if she had spoken a foreign language.
“
Right
?”

“
Yes. I know that Kara is hating every minute of her stay in the Queen
’
s chambers. And knowing that, it does seem strange that she has been gone so long.
”

His lips twitched.
“
How could you possibly know that?
”

She frowned.
“
You are not doubting her loyalty to you, are you? Not over some men who think that oiling their skin and showing off their chest muscles makes them look irresistible?
”

He shrugged and turned away.

Ellah felt an urge to grab him by the shoulders and shake him, but with everything she knew about his skill and his temper she really didn
’
t think it was a good idea.

“
Kara is uncomfortable around men,
”
she said.
“
She told me herself once. She hides it well, but surely, you of all people should know this about her. Don
’
t you?
”

He hesitated, his eyes for the first time in this conversation acquiring just a touch of reason.

“
I know that she really resents the way all the consorts here have been eyeing her since we arrived,
”
Ellah went on.
“
So, while she may indeed be staying in the Queen
’
s chambers by choice right now, I think with how long it has been, with everything both you and I know about her, it wouldn
’
t hurt to check, would it?
”

“
Check?
”

Ellah felt a pang of pity when she saw the way he looked up at her, hesitant and hopeful like a child.

“
You do still remember that I can detect whether people are telling the truth, do you?
”
she asked.

Mai raised his eyebrows
.
“
Is this a trick question?
”

“No. It
’
s just that with the way you looked at me right now, I wasn
’
t sure your mind is truly in this conversation.
”

He leaned back.
“
Point taken. And yes, I do remember. So what?
”

“Let
’
s go to the Queen
’
s chambers,
”
Ellah said,
“
and ask about Kara.
”

“
At this hour of the night?
”

Ellah sighed.
“
Look. You made no secret of the way you feel about her, or the kind of relationship you have. If you disturb anyone, they would just assume you are being possessive and jealous, right?
”

“
Right.
”
His side glance held only partial embarrassment about it.

“You don
’
t mind, do you?
”
she asked.

He lifted his gaze to her.
“
No. That
’
s what I am, isn
’
t it?
”

She shook her head.
“
Not exactly. You
’
re being protective. And, for all we know, you might have a very good reason for it.
”

Mai looked at her thoughtfully. Ellah was relieved to see reason back in his eyes, but she also ached at the vulnerability she saw. Losing Kara would break his heart. If nothing else, this knowledge alone was worth doing everything possible to make sure she was safe.

The royal guards stationed outside their suite sprang to attention as they saw Ellah and Mai emerge from their quarters. Their demeanor suggested that they had originally planned to go for their weapons, but paused at the sight of Mai
’
s determined look.

“
Anything we can help you with, Aghat Mai?
”
one of the guards asked.

Mai lifted his chin.
“
I wish to go to the Queen
’
s quarters.
”

The guard frowned.
“
At this late hour?
”

Something in his tone of voice stirred Ellah to attention. It wasn
’
t exactly a lie, especially because the guard
’
s words weren
’
t even a statement, but her truthsense told her this guard knew more than he wanted them to believe, and that Mai
’
s wish to find the Queen
’
s quarters had alarmed him. She held out two fingers to indicate a lie.

Mai
’
s hand unfolded with a dagger that seemed to have instantly sprouted off his wrist. Ellah blinked, watching the razor-sharp blade press against the guard
’
s throat, forcing the man into stillness. She edged away. With the amount of time she spent with the Majat she should be used to these kinds of displays by now, but Mai just had a way to take her by surprise every time.

The other guard glanced at Ellah, but before he could move, two Emeralds stepped up to his sides. He froze, his darting eyes taking in the scene in the obvious realization that he and his comrade were badly outnumbered. He turned to Mai, his face folding into a semblance of a friendly smile.

“
Are you worried about your woman?
”

Mai
’
s eyes flared. “Don
’
t push it.
”

The guard swallowed nervously.
“
She is fine, I am sure. The Queen
’
s consorts are, um, very experienced at entertainment, if you know what I mean.
”
He winked.
“
Why don
’
t you go back to your quarters and wait until morning?
”

Mai
’
s eyes flicked to Ellah
’
s hand, still holding out two fingers. She saw a brief acknowledgement in his gaze as he reached forward in a gesture that would have seemed lazy and drawn if it wasn
’
t so fast. His fingers briefly connected with the guard
’
s neck. Ellah watched, wide-eyed, as the large man folded down to the floor, slowly and gently, as if curling up to sleep. She glanced at Mai, still holding the other guard at blade point without as much as a glance at his fallen opponent.

“Now,” Mai said. “
Let me repeat my original request. I wish to go to the Queen
’
s quarters.
”

The guard led them through a network of winding passages, some broad and well lit, some narrow and dark. It felt fortunate that at this hour of the night the palace stood empty. Ellah had no doubt that Mai, and his two Emerald guards that kept up their determined stride behind him, were easily up to the challenge of handling anyone in their way, but she was glad that for the moment it didn
’
t seem necessary. As she focused on keeping up, she briefly wondered if the royal guard was intentionally trying to lead them in circles, but the colors in her mind told her the man was at his wits
’
end with fear, too scared to entertain any possibility of a deliberate plotting. She felt relieved. Mai seemed far enough on edge to break the guard
’
s neck at the merest of provocations. While she knew that Mai normally didn
’
t kill unless he really had to, she didn
’
t want to test his resolve right now.

When they finally arrived at an ornate set of double doors, Ellah felt winded. The Majat didn
’
t show any signs of tiredness, but the guard Mai was still holding at a blade point was panting too, from fear or exhaustion, she couldn
’
t tell. Either way, she didn
’
t envy his place right now.

After a lengthy knocking, a sleepy-looking young man swung the door open. Seeing Mai, he moved to slam it shut, but Mai stepped into the door frame with the speed that made Ellah blink. His free hand flicked to the neck of the guard he was holding in a brief gesture that sent the man tumbling backward, collapsing like a large sack. The Queen
’
s consort watched the scene with widening eyes.

“
Where
’
s Kara?” Mai asked.

The man
’
s face lost some of its distracted expression as he looked up at Mai again. His face folding into a sneer. Ellah braced herself, preparing for the worst.

“She
’
s sleeping,
”
the young man said.

To her surprise, Ellah detected no lie in this statement. She saw Mai
’
s eyes briefly flick to the one finger she was holding out.

Mai receded a bit, sheathing his knife.
“
Is she all right?
”

The man
’
s grin widened.
“She
’
s fine. Just exhausted, after our men showed her a really good time. I
’
d say you shouldn
’
t be expecting her back any time soon.
”

A complex set of colors flickered up in Ellah
’
s mind. The man wasn
’
t exactly lying, but his words certainly carried a double meaning. Worse, she detected pride in his voice at his own skill of skirting the truth.

She held two fingers up, to make sure Mai could see them well, but she didn
’
t need to bother. Mai
’
s face froze, the dagger instantly back in his hand as he lay the blade across the consort
’
s neck, pressing him against the door frame. He heaved a long breath, leaving Ellah to wonder how close he actually came to slitting the man
’
s throat.

“
I want to see her,
”
Mai said, his voice terrifyingly quiet.
“Now.”

The consort
’
s eyes darted around, trying and failing to find any possibility of escape.

Mai held his dagger in place as he kicked the door open, revealing a large room dominated by a pond at the far end. Ellah edged inside after him, glancing around. The room
did
look as if it recently housed a very large orgy, with overturned divans and pillows scattered among the serving trays and half-emptied goblets. She frowned. Was it truly an orgy that caused such ruckus? Or was it a fight?

“
Where is she?
” Mai asked.

The man
’
s voice came out broken, so different from the way he sounded just recently.
“
Not here.
”

Mai pressed his blade tighter against the man
’
s skin, drawing blood.
“I
’
m only going to ask you one last time.
”

The man gasped.
“I…
I don’
t know where she is. The Queen and Prince Jamal, they
…
they took her somewhere.
”

Mai turned around to look at Ellah, holding out one finger. He glanced past her to his Emerald guards. Following his silent signal the men darted into the doorway leading from the large room presumably to the sleeping quarters.

“
The consorts are all sleeping,
” Mai
’s captive said.
“
Your men are going to wake them up.
”

“
Bloody shame.
”

The consort kept very still against Mai
’
s pressing blade.

Voices and screams carried in from the inner chamber, followed by half-naked men stumbling in through the doorway. Ellah counted more than two dozen, all of them tanned, muscular, and young. Some wore no more than a loin cloth. She hastily looked away.

“
No sign of her, Aghat Mai,
”
one of the Emeralds said.

Mai
’
s captive raised his head.
“
I told you. She
’
s not here. The Queen ordered us all to stay quiet when they left with Kara.
”

“
Where did they take her?
”
Mai demanded.

The consort shivered.
“
Not sure. The Queen spoke about the secret dungeon
…”
He swallowed, words pouring out of him in a nervous clutter.
“
Lady Kara fought like a lion. Even half-drugged, Prince Jamal had to use all the help of his men to apprehend her.
”
The phrase ended in a yelp as Mai pressed his blade tighter against the man
’
s throat.

Prince Jamal.
The reverence with which the consort mentioned his name didn
’
t escape Ellah. Apparently they all held his fighting skill in high regard, the fact she assumed Mai was now keeping in mind.

“
What do they want with her?
”
Mai kept his eyes on Ellah when he asked the question. The consort may have guessed the game, because he looked at Ellah too, with a plea in his eyes.

“I…
I don’
t really know. They spoke of Aljahara, I heard them.
”

Aljahara.
That word again, the one the crowd had chanted as it followed them to the palace. Ellah kept one finger out, for Mai to see.

“
What does it mean?
” Mai asked.

The consort raised his eyebrows.
“Don
’
t you know any of our history?
”

Mai
’
s eyes flared. “
Do I look like a bloody scholar?
”

The consort whimpered as he pressed tighter against the wall.
“It
’
s a legend. Of a rightful queen. Someone who would have ruled if Queen Jameera hadn
’
t died in childbirth nineteen years ago.
”

“A legend.” Mai
’
s face contorted again and Ellah saw his hand holding the dagger clench briefly, as if he was finding trouble controlling it. She took a step back, praising her stars that she wasn
’
t the one he was holding at a dagger point right now.

“
Can you please let me go?
”
the consort asked.
“
I really don
’
t know anything else.
”

“
You will take us to the dungeon.
”

“I…
I don’
t know the way
…
Only the Queen and her few trusted advisors know where it is.
”

Mai
’
s gaze slid over Ellah, holding out one finger, onward to one of his Emerald Guards. He flicked a quick hand sign. The man picked up one of the groveling consorts, holding him at knife point as he dragged him through the doorway. Ellah heard their muffled arguing as they sped away.

Mai exchanged a few words with the other Emerald in a strange language
–
the Majat dialect, Ellah assumed. She watched the Emerald grab another consort off the floor and rush outside.

“Now.”
Mai turned to the rest of the men.
“
Go back to sleep. If anyone here runs off to raise an alarm, we
’
ll skin him alive and hang him by his toes in the palace gateway. I trust, with this knowledge, you can all enjoy a good rest until morning.
”
He turned to his captive.
“
Lead the way. We
’
re going back to our quarters.
”

The consort stumbled forward. Mai signaled for Ellah to follow. Only now did she realize why each Emerald captured a consort. They all needed guides to navigate the meshwork of palace passages.

Her stomach clenched with worry. She had no idea why the Queen had turned on Kara after acting so friendly in the throne room, but she hoped Mai would be able to rescue her before it was too late.